Israel Matzav

Netanyahu seeking to legalize Jewish towns built on 'private Palestinian land'

On Sunday, 38 of the 120 Knesset members, including over half of the Likud's Knesset delegation, signed a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu urging him not to raze Jewish homes built on 'private Palestinian land' and instead to pay compensation to those who can prove ownership. Netanyahu can read the writing on the wall. He is going along with the plan.

At a meeting with ministers from his Likud party, he said he would order Neeman to explore ways to legalize the buildings in question. Any such solution would require new legislation.

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While the task force's members have not yet been appointed, it seems they will not come from either the state prosecution or the military prosecution.

Culture Minister Limor Livnat, one of those who pushed for the task force, told Arutz Sheva radio on Monday that the goal was to examine the issue "without fear of what leftist groups will say. As the government, we need to govern."

Another politician said that even if the task force produced no solutions, its work would take several months and could provide a pretext for postponing the demolitions.

Haaretz has reported in the past that parts of two veteran settlements, Ofra and Eli, are also built on private Palestinian land. So far, no legal solution has been found for these settlements, so the task force will presumably be asked to deal with this issue as well.

Meanwhile, the government is also working energetically to legalize everything that has been built on state land, but without proper master plans or building permits, in both settlements and outposts. At stake is much of what has been built in the settlements over the last 20 years. Based on the state's submissions to the High Court, it seems it plans to legalize 326 permanent houses and 344 caravans.

However, various government legal officials say that certain outposts cannot be legalized without a cabinet decision to establish a new settlement - something the government wants to avoid due to the diplomatic ramification of such a moves. The government is seeking to declare these outposts neighborhoods of nearby settlements.

"Israel's policy regarding construction in Judea and Samaria has not changed," a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said in response to this report.

Livnat is right. The government needs to stop worrying about what the Leftists (including Haaretz) will say. It needs to govern and LEAD instead.

What could go wrong?

Labels: eminent domain, Judea and Samaria construction, Migron, outposts

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:21 PM